Improvement in ladders



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST I. KNOWLTON, OF SOUTH LYON, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN LADDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,586, dated May 19, 1863.

To @ZZ whom; it may concern,.-

Be it known that l, ERNEST I. KNowLToN, of the township or" Lyon, county of Oakland and State of Michigan, have invented an Improvement in Ladders; and-I do hereby dcclare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying diagram of Knowltons farmladder,77 which diagram forms part and parcel of this speciiication, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in an improved ladder, said improvement consisting in attaching to the upper part of an ordinary ladder a single-footed adjustable standard, a, and adjustable table h, as represented in the aforesaid diagram.

Figure l is a three-footed self-supporting fruit-ladder used for gathering fruit, grafting trees, &c., the front part resembling a com mon ladder, with this variation, that the two top rounds, d and 1n, iit loosely in the sides 't' i, and the holes for the second round, m, are placed about one inch one side of the range of the other rounds, to facilitate the folding of the two parts of the ladder for carrying it about, the sides i t being usually each about ten and one-haltl feet long, four feet apart at the bottom ends and twenty'inches apart at the top, the back part being a singlefooted standard, a, also ten and one-half feet long, attached rmly to the second round, m, from the top of the front part, and extending a suicient distance beyond to lap onto the third round, y, when brought in contact with the same, said standard a being supported by a brace, b, on each side, and having pins r passing through it horizontally, of sufficient length and size to be used as ladder-rounds. The rst or top round, d, in the front part, passing loosely into the open holes c c c, can be readily placed or detached at will. h is a two-legged table easily adjusted on any two Arounds of the front part of the ladder, having a cleat,j, extending across the under side of the back end, and a cleat, u, on each side extending to within the diameter of the round of the back cleat, j, and, having the feet of the legs k furcated, the back end of the table will rest securely on one round, while the front end is supported bythe twolegs,restin g also securely on the next round below by means of the furcated feet k.

Fig. 2 is a straight ladder used in climbing tall trees, stacks, buildings, Src. It is formed from Fig. l by simply raising the back part or standard ct to a line with the front part, so that the notch f will rest on the third round, g, and then inserting the adjustable round or pin d through the open holes c c o, thus form ing a stift' joint with the strength of three rounds.

I clainr- Y ,1. The adjustable single-footed standard c, pins r, braces b, and pin d, in connection with the front part-,i i, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The table h, with the cleats j and n, and furcated legs la, substantially as and for the ypurposes described.

3. l do not claim the front part of Fig. l entire, but I do claim the variations made by the two top rounds, d and m, both fitting loosely in the sides t' t', and the second, m, being placed about one inch one side of the line ot' the remaining rounds;

4. A joint in the center of the ladder formed by the adjustabilty of the two upper rounds of the lower part, d and m, and the lapping of the notch f at the lower end of the extending part (t onto the third round, g.

ERNEST I. KNO WLTON.

In presence of- E. A. CALKINS, E. M. PRATT. 

